In the past, devices have been manufactured to be free-standing, i.e., to be in final form when they come from the manufacturer. As software implementations became less expensive than hardware implementations, manufacturers found that it became cost-effective to manufacture many devices that could be updated by reloading the devices with updated software. Then, as more devices were utilizing updated software, it became convenient to download the software via telephone or the Internet.
As devices have continued to evolve, there has now become a need for a two-part device that consists of a physical device and a virtual device. The physical device needs to interact with a virtual device so that the virtual device can provide for transfer of ownership to the new owner and can provide additional services to the physical device. In order for such a system to be readily coordinated, there is a need for a virtual device associated with the physical device to be able to be linked to the physical device in a convenient, easy-to-use manner. Thus, there is a need for the physical device to have a permanent Internet address for communication with the associated virtual device, wherein the address is easily ascertainable by the user.